This invention relates to an instant yogurt preparation which can be reconstituted using a liquid such as water or milk plus simple hand mixing. More particularly, this invention relates to an instant yogurt product which gives a product having smooth, yogurt-like texture and flavor.
Yogurt is a form of formented milk which has been curdled to give a smooth, creamy or custard-like consistency. Natural yogurt is produced by implanting a beneficial mixture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in milk allowing the micro-organisms to incubate until the proper acidity level is established in the milk. This mixture is then chilled to reduce the activity of the cultures and to control its final acidity. Because natural yogurt is an active mixture containing active micro-organisms, it must be chilled to prevent further incubation which will spoil the product. For this reason yogurt containing active cultures can be quite costly and must be consumed shortly after production and prior to its expiration date.
The texture of yogurt is also an important factor in determining its acceptability. The yogurt should be free of lumps and curds and should exhibit a smooth, custard-like, creamy consistency. There have been numerous attempts to prepare dried products which can be reconstituted to form an acceptable yogurt, i.e., so-called instant yogurt.
Prior attempts to produce such products are described in a number of patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,794 which describes an instant yogurt preparation. The product described in this patent is a sodium alginate gel or pudding containing a spray dried yogurt powder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,009 is directed to a dried dessert mix composition which essentially is a pudding-like product which requires an electric mixture to be properly prepared. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,289,788 and 4,289,789 are directed to instant yogurt compositions or drinks and require storage for an extensive time period, i.e. four or more hours, in order to form the desired consistency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,566 is directed to a dried dessert mix composition which produces a product which is not smooth, creamy or does not have typical yogurt texture. Furthermore, it requires substantial effort in order to reconstitute the product including the mixing with mechanical mixing means followed by refrigeration for at least 10 minutes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,875 is directed to a dessert composition which is more like an instant pudding than yogurt. Furthermore, it requires that the product be consumed within a relatively short period of time since the product continues to set into a rather stiff, starchy mixture. U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,009 describes a yogurt-like dessert. In effect, this product is a sweet and sour starch pudding.